The Global Agora

Elections in Hungary are not expected until April, but who is leading in the polls? Péter Magyar’s Tisza party or Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz? To better understand the situation, I spoke with Daniel Hegedüs, Regional Director for Central Europe at the German Marshall Fund. He writes and speaks extensively on populism and democratic backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe, and we discuss what Orbán may be willing to do to remain in power. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Global Risks to the EU is a large-scale survey designed to quantify expert perceptions of conflict-related threats to European Union security. To explore what to watch for and what threatens the EU, I spoke with Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. We discuss the likelihood of various scenarios, identify what are the high, moderate and remote risks for the European Union, examine how these risks are connected to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but also what the EU faces internally. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

This episode of my podcast, The Global Agora, features an exclusive interview with former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After leaving Brussels in October last year, he became Norway's Finance Minister, and he also wrote a book, On My Watch, reflecting on his 10 years at NATO. It was the perfect opportunity for another round of conversation, especially since I had the chance to interview him in the past. We discussed a range of topics, including Ukraine, whether Vladimir Putin's calculus can be changed, the impact of US President Donald Trump's policies on Europe, and I also asked him if NATO, under his watch, ever came dangerously close to war with Russia. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

"Although the National Security Strategy says very little about Russia, what it does say is really, really significant because it does not treat Russia as an adversary. But we’re talking about an attempt to break the European Union, to absolutely shatter this institution.” This is what Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute at University College Dublin, told me when commenting on the new National Security Strategy of the Trump administration. Scott is also Professor Emeritus of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and editor-in-chief of EA WorldView. Does he think that Europe is, at this moment, squeezed between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Elon Musk, and Xi Jinping – and if so, how should it respond? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

"Fighting corruption has strategic importance for Ukraine’s national security. I believe this because when it comes to corruption in areas critical to national defense and security, we very often see that this corruption is not random, that people are not just there to steal some money. They do it because it serves Russian interests," explains Olena Tregub, Secretary-General of NAKO – The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission. We discussed the current high-profile corruption cases in Ukraine linked to the energy and defense sectors, but I also asked Olena what she would say to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Is he too close to people who are too close to corruption? Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Alex Finley, a former officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations and author of the Victor Caro intelligence novels, unpacks a story that sounds like one of her satirical books – but may be anything but fictional. She reacts to allegations that a recent US peace plan for Ukraine was, at least in part, drafted in Moscow before being translated into English and circulated in Washington. “It very much looks like a Russian influence operation,” Alex told me. Do you want to hear what she thinks about the unusual influence of figures such as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, her view of Donald Trump’s behavior toward Vladimir Putin, and what she believes the Kremlin ultimately wants from its relationship with Washington? Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Does the European Parliament have a new majority? Is the EPP normalizing the far-right? And why does EPP chair Manfred Weber vote with the Patriots when he and the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are essentially portrayed as political anti-Christs in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary? Eric Maurice, a Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre, explains what is happening in the European Parliament and in European politics. Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How has the nature of threats changed over the past decades? With a 36-year career in Canada’s foreign service and security community, Jennifer Irish can tell. We met at the Stratcom Under Pressure conference in Bratislava, organized by the Hoaxy a podvody (Hoaxes and Scams) project. Ms. Irish is the Founding Director of the Information Integrity Lab at the University of Ottawa, and we discuss foreign interference in elections, whether Russia is the most malign actor in the global information sphere, what US President Donald Trump means for Canada, and whether a disinformation campaign could lead to a kinetic war. Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that, because of other countries' testing programs, he has instructed the Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis – a process he says will start immediately. What does this mean? How risky is it? Will Trump really resume nuclear testing? And if he does, who will be the biggest winner? I try to find answers to these questions with Stephen Herzog, Professor of the Practice at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, California, and an Associate of the Harvard University Project on Managing the Atom. And we also discuss Kathryn Bigelow’s new movie, A House of Dynamite, about a missile attack against the United States. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If authoritarians seek to dictate the global agenda while liberal democracies at least partly resist, could this lead to conflicts or even wars? This was one of my questions for Alexander Cooley, Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University, and Alexander Dukalskis, Associate Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. Their new book, Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics, examines how authoritarian powers have grown more confident and assertive in challenging liberal norms. In our conversation – with Professor Cooley speaking first – we discuss what triggered this authoritarian resurgence, why today’s autocrats are no longer ashamed of their systems, and what role the West itself played in enabling this global shift. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak